The Western Force’s 23-player team list for the opening game of the new Super Rugby AUS competition has been selected, with half a dozen Academy talents named in the starting line-up.
Academy graduates Marley Pearce, George Poolman and Mitch Watts are joined in the starting side by 2025 Academy squad members Albert Alcock, Boston Fakafanua and Justin Landman for Friday night’s clash away to the NSW Waratahs from 5:30pm WST, live on rugby.com.au’s YouTube channel and Stan Sport.
Super Rugby AUS is about supporting the ongoing growth and development of players and high performance staff, adding a third-tier rugby competition of meaningful, high quality games into the Australian system.
The Force line-up will be captained by Wallabies lock Darcy Swain, who’ll start in the second row alongside Watts, who is one of the four players uncapped at Super Rugby level in the starting side.
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Exciting Australia U20s midfielder Fakafanua, winger Landman - who toured South Africa with the Force last year after winning the Fortescue Premier Grade title with Associates - and 24-year-old tighthead prop Bradley Kuhn are the other three.
Newcomer Viliami Fine will start on the left wing, coming into the side after playing in the Fortescue Premier Grade Grand Final for Palmyra a fortnight ago. The 27-year-old previously played six Super Rugby Pacific games for Moana Pasifika and was capped internationally by Tonga. He’s also scored nine tries in the NPC for Southland in recent seasons.
There are also new faces among the finishers, with Warringah Rats hooker Wes Thomas – fresh from winning the NSW Shute Shield title a fortnight ago - Southland prop Sean Paranihi and ex-Melbourne Rebels and Australia U20s lock Max Johnson among the impact squad. Kalamunda and Academy front-rower Max Sawers is also selected among the reserves.
In the starting XV, Joondalup Brothers loosehead prop Pearce will start in the front row along with Kuhn on the tighthead side, with 2025 Force Rising Star Albert Alcock selected to start at hooker.
Watts and 17-cap Wallaby Swain will team up in the second row, with Will Harris, Wests Scarborough openside-flanker Kane Koteka and Vaiolini Ekuasi forming the back row.
Max Burey starts at fly-half alongside 2024 Force Rising Star Henry Robertson at scrum-half, with Poolman and Fakafanua moving into the midfield in the run-on side.
Fine and Landman will start on the wings, with 2025 sensation Mac Grealy rounding out the back three.
Among the reserves are experienced Wallabies scrum-half Issak Fines-Leleiwasa and utility back Kurtley Beale in a 6-2 split bench. Thomas, Sawers, Paranihi, Johnson, Reed Prinsep and Titi Nofoagatatoa are the reserve forwards.
Ronan Leahy (knee) and Divad Palu (shoulder) are both unavailable for selection due to injury.
No official Force or Super Rugby caps will be handed out during the competition.
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Western Force team list
Starting XV; Marley Pearce, Albert Alcock, Bradley Kuhn, Mitch Watts, Darcy Swain (c), Will Harris, Kane Koteka, Vaiolini Ekuasi; Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Viliami Fine, George Poolman, Boston Fakafanua, Justin Landman, Mac Grealy
Reserves; Wes Thomas, Max Sawers, Sean Paranihi, Max Johnson, Reed Prinsep, Titi Nofoagatotoa, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Kurtley Beale
Game details
NSW Waratahs v Western Force
Friday 12 September, 5:30pm WST
Warringah Rugby Club, Pittwater Park
Live on rugby.com.au’s YouTube channel & Stan Sport
